The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan received a truckload of chicken -- totaling 5,200 pounds -- as a donation from Miller Poultry, an Indiana-based, family-owned company. The donation happened at the VG's Food and Pharmacy location on Corunna Road in Flint.Jeremy Allen | jallen42@mlive.com

FLINT, MI – More than 5,000 pounds of chicken were given to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan Thursday morning, Dec. 13.

Miller Poultry – a small, family-owned company based in Orland, Ind. – dropped off a truckload of poultry to the organization at the VG’s Food and Pharmacy on Corunna Road in Flint.

In total, 100 40-pound cases of chicken drumsticks and 100 12-pound cases of chicken sausages were given to the Food Bank. The chicken equals more than 11,000 servings for individuals throughout 22 different counties which the Food Bank services.

Bill Kerr, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, said the donation by Miller Poultry created a unique opportunity because meat products are hard for the Food Bank to get.

“Protein is one of our hardest things to procure, so when you get a truckload of chicken, it’s a wonderful thing because it goes straight into the hands of those in need,” Kerr said.

“This shows a true partnership between Miller Poultry, VG’s and the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. We’ve been able to establish a great relationship with VG’s and then VG’s, in turn, spun that into a great relationship with Miller Poultry.”

Len Neeb, a manager at Miller Poultry, said the relationship between his company and the Food Bank was put together because of VG’s relationship with the Food Bank.

He said giving back to the community is second nature for the company and this makes the fourth consecutive year the company has contributed to the Food Bank.

“Donating and giving back to the community is a family tradition,” Neeb said. “This is a family-owned business and one of the things that is very important to Gayland Miller, the owner of the company, is community and giving back.

“The VG’s stores have done business with us since we started almost 20 years ago. We save up all throughout the year so we can give back around this time of year, especially to the companies that support us all year.”

Vice president of VG’s Food Stores Brian Haaraoja was given credit for orchestrating the partnership between the Food Bank and Miller Poultry.

Haaraoja said that Miller Poultry, a long-time supplier for VG’s, asked him which for a suggestion on which local organization was in need of their support.

“We do a lot of business with Miller Poultry throughout the year and Miller’s such a great company that gives back and they wanted to donate chicken. Because we are such a good customer of theirs they asked us for a good place for them to donate,” Haaraoja said.

“Working with the Food Bank, working with Miller, we were kind of like the bridge that brought the two organizations together. At VG’s, whether it’s partnering with Miller Poultry or doing the Scan Away Hunger, where we solicit the customers to help during this great time of need, we feel that it’s very important to give back to the community.”

Neeb said that the company doesn’t do the donations for any reason other than helping meet a need in the community.

“We appreciate the notoriety that comes with giving back, but actually we would do it if we didn’t get any. It’s something that is innate, it’s inborn, it’s built into the owner’s religion, and it’s our culture to give back. This is not (a second-hand product). We could easily sell this product, but we do this to give back, not because of what we can get out of it.”